Incline-indicator



W. S. CLAYTON.

INCLINE INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5. 1918.

Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

INVENT OR Zora /ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

INCLINE-INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

Application filed September 5, 1918. Serial No. 252,808.

To all wiwm'z't may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. CLAYTON, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Incline-1m dicators, of which the following is a specifieation.

This invention relates to a means for indicating to an aviator, when flying by night, the banking incline of his machine from the horizontal, when turning. Although specifically described as indicating the athwartship or banking inclination of the machine, the device is equally applicable to indicate fore and aft inclinations when rising or falling.

The indication is made bythe illumination of one or more of a series of small incandescent lamps disposed in a substantially straight line from a middle one toa limiting end one on each side. The middle and end limit indicating lamps are maintained incandescent while the device is in use by including them in a closed energized circuit,

but the intervening incline indicating series of lamps are in a normally open circuit andare successively connected in the circuit and rendered incandescent from the middle one outward to either side, as the machine is-inclined to one side or the other, by a small body of quicksilver ina contact cell, which quicksilver is included in the energized open circuit and maintains its level while the machine is inclined and thus allows aseries of contacts forming the terminals of the several incline indicating lamps to dip their ends successively into the quicksilver and connect the lamp to which each belongs in the energized circuit. Thus the number of lamps that are rendered incandescent on one side or the other of the middle light indicates the inclination of the machine.

The invention is particularly described in the following specification, reference being made to the drawings by which it is accompanied, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation in somewhat diagrammatic form.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section of one of the sub-divisions of the contact cell.

Figs. 3 and 4 show to a reduced scale the indication by illumination ofv opposite and dngerent inclinations from the horizontal, an

Fig. 5 shows diagrammatically-a modified form of the invention.

In these drawings 2 represents an electric circuit which is energized by a battery 4 or other available source of electrical energy. This circuit 2 is normally closed when the incline indicator is in use but when not required the circuit may be opened by a switch 5. In this circuit 2 are three small incandescent lamps, indicating the middle 6 and each end 7 of the incline indicator, the middle light 6 being preferably colored green and the end ones red.

A series of small incandescent lamps 8 are disposed at equal distances apart oneach side of the middle light 6 and extendv to the limiting lights 7 in a line substantially parallel to them. One terminal of each of these lamps 8 is connected to the circuit 2 and the other terminal lead 12 of each is normally open but projects into a separate vertical subdivision 13 of a contact vessel in which is a body 10 of quicksilver which is electrically connected at 11 by a wire 9 to the other pole of the energized. circuit 2. The leads l2 from the middle line project lessening depths into each contact cell sub division, 13, so that while the circuit of each lamp 8 ishormally open while the flying machine is horizontal, if it is tilted to one side or the other the quicksilver maintains its level but the contact ends of the leads 12 a of the lamps 8 will successively be immersed in the quicksilver and connected in the en ergized circuit in numbers according to the amount of the inclination.

The subdivisions 13 of the contact cell in -which is the fluid contact making quicksilver 10, may be constructed in any suitable manner. It is in the drawing shown as it was constructed for experimental purposes,

of two sheets of glass 14 cemented or otherwise secured together on a border frame 15 of rubber or, other suitable material, and is subdivided into the separate cells 13 by partitions 16 of similar material, which partitions leave a clear space along the bottom mitting the action to be visible, it may be found advisable to make it of metal as less liableto injury. a

The device is simple to construct and having no moving parts is not liable to derangement in use. It may be of any size consldered desirable, from five or six inches long,

to a foot or more, and as previously stated,

although originally designed to indicate the transverse inclination of the machine, it may also be used to indicate the fore and aft inclination, or the two may be combined in one with the lines of lamp crossing one another in front of the aviator. The lamps may be inserted in white enameled apertures in wood and-be thereby protected from injur and screened from observation by others t an the aviator.

This method of indication of an incline by successively increasing. the number of illuminated lamps as the incline increases is advantageous in that it does not require concentrated observation, but will make itself apparent to the aviator while his eyes are directed to other objects requiring attention. Further, the increased hght' of an inv creased inclination will impress attention as the allowed limit is approached, in the fur.- therance of which idea the end lights 8 may be colored red or may be more powerful.

,Fig. 5 illustrates a modification which was really the original conception of the inven-- 'tion, in which the'contact leads 12 013 the lamps 8 wereprojected into' an elongated contact cell 13 in which the uicksilver 10,

occupying the bottom part 0 the tube, is clear of the contacts while the instrument is level, but when inclined successively connects each lamp in a closed circuit from either outer end inward. Asit is considered desirable that the illumination should extend outward from the middle, the contacts may be cross-connected to the lamps 8, as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 5.

Where this system is used it may be found desirable to check the too violent flow of quicksilver to the end of the cell by obstructing partitions 17 and by a middle reserve.

enlargement 1?.

I do not desire to be confined to the particular arrangement of parts or to the construction of the device, as hereinbefore described and illustrated, as the same may be modified within wide limits to meet the practical requirements of aviation and of manufacture, the invention being interpreted within the scope of the following claims: 1

:1. An incline indicator, comprising in combination, an energized closed circult in which is an incandescent lamp, a series of lamps arranged on each side of the aforesaid lamp, one terminal of each of which is connected to a wire of th closed circuit and the other terminal of each separately connected to a contact projecting into an elongated cell in which a body of quicksilver is movable; which quicksilver is connected in the closed circuit but 1s not in contact with the lamp terminal contacts when the indicator is horizontal but which when the indicatoris inclined to one side or the other will connect each lamp successively in the closed circuit from the middle lamp outward.

2. An incline indicator, comprising an elongated cell in which a body of quicksilver is movable, the upper part of which cell is divided-into a series of substantially upright ducts into each of which a-contact terminal projects, the quicksilver being electricall connected to an energized circuit.

and t e contact terminals separately connected to one side of the same circuit with an incandescent lamp in each of such con- -tact connections, the depth to which the lamp contact terminals project into each cellbeing such that as the cell is inclined to one side or the other the contact nearest the midlength of the cell will be the first closed with the-quicksilver and the others successively from that to the outer end. a 3. An incline indicator, comprising an elongated-cell having a series of upwardly projectin subdivisions, the lower ends of which su divisions are connected together, a terminal contact projecting. downward into each vertical subdivision of the cell, a

body of quicksilver in the lower part of the cell and movable in it to rise in each vertical subdivision on either side of the mid-, length as the cell is inclined to one side or the other, said quicksilver being electrically connected in an energized circuit to one side of which circuit each terminal contact of each subdivision is separately connected, and a lamp in' the separate connection of each terminal contact.

4. An incline indicator, comprising an elongated cell having a series of upwardly projectin subdivisions, the lower ends of which su divisions are connected together,

a terminal contact pro'ecting down ward into eachvertical subdivision of the cell, a

body of quicksilver in the lower part of the cell and movable in it to rise in each vertical subdivision on either side of themidlength projected into the cell subdivisions, being as the cell is. inclined to one side or the such that those nearer to the middle on each other, said quicksilver being electrically side will make contact with the quicksilver 10 connected in an energized circuit to one side before those that are nearer the ends. f

5 of which circuit each terminal contact of In testimony whereofI afiix my signature.

each subdivision is separately connected, the

' depth to which the terminal contacts are SQ CLAYTON 

